Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1887-11-13
AN EXPLOSION
Which Startled North Wheeling People
Last Night
DYNAMITE THE EVIDENT CAUSE
A Cartridge Set Of on Eighth Street By
Two Strangers.
The AFFAIR PROBABLY 4 JOKE

About hslf.past seven o'clock last even
ing q mysterious and very heavy expio-
sion occurred on Eighth street, near the
corner Of Main, which came near startling
several hundred of the residentsof the up
per part of the city out of ayear'sgrowth,
and speedily attracted q crowd Of half a
thousand people to the spot. These peo-
ple found little to satisfy their curiosity
beyond a peculiar smell in the atmosphere
and a hole about five or six inches deep In
the gutter, which looked as if it had been
exeayated by q cartridge Of some sort or
other. The police were soon at the spot,
and Officers Hazlett and Desmond pro-
cured n lantern and made q careful search
of the whole locality as wells as they could,
but if there was any evidence Of the exact
nature of the explosive used, it had been
trampled into the earth by the excited and
curious people.
From every evidence at hand, the ex-
plosive was dynamite. The noise was q
| dull, heavy report, which was heard as far
away rs the Island and up town as far as
the hospital. Scores Of First ward citizens
Thought there had been a boiler explosion
at the water works, while natural gas
popped into q good many heads at the sam
instant. A rush was made for Eighth
street, where the explosion seemed tc
be located, aud as the people in the vicin'
ity of that ~thoroughfare came pourins
from their houses, the scene was an ami
mated one for a time. There was at first q
good deal of uncerta nty as to the locality
of the racket but Mr.. Jacob Wise speedily
nut all question ut rest by his testimony
and an examination of the gutter alongside
of his premises revealed the spot where th'
explosion took place.
Mr.. Wise said to a REGISTER reporter
81 was sitting in the house when all o.
a sudden there came a tremendous eXpio
sion, which made the house shake and the
windows rattle. My first thought was thai
there had been an explosion OF natural gas
in the cellar, and | ran to look at the lire
places, but found they were all right. |
then ran ont of doors, followed by my
family. My daughter, who ran out the
back "a into the yard, said the air was
heavy with a peculiar smell, which did moi
at all resemble burning powder. The
noise was deep and heavy, like a blast OIL
an explosion under ground. Had it been
a little harder IL would have broken the
windows. | have no idea how the thing
occurred"
Miss Reister, who lives at No. ISL Main
street. says she was standing in front o
her residence, jusS before the explosion
occurred. She says she saw two men turn
ND Eighth street from Main and pause fol
for an instant on the sidewalk opposite
Mr.. Wise's house. They then started tt
run, aud as they passed ont Of sight up tn;
street the explosion came. She couli moi
describe the men, as it was dark, and Jusj
remembers seeing them.
Robert Dugal, 6 Top mill mailer, VINO
resides on Eighth street, immediately IN
the rear Of Mr.. Wise, says a tramp called
a. his house al hour or so before the ex-
plosion. and asked for something to cot
He declined to gi7e him anything lust then
as bis family WIS at supper, and he wen'
away. Henoticed no other suspicious cir
cumstauce during the evening.
The explosive, whnts7or 1t S5aA, was SUI
fcient to tear one Of the stones IN the guttcl
TO fragments, but very little earth W.,
displaced, the force being evidently tx
hausted against the side Of the curb stone
An officer remained on duty in the vicinity
all night, but no further suspicious cir,
/ cumstance was noted
The whole thing IL a mystery, but bear
the ear-mlrEs of a lark, or very ..practica
Joke.